aHunter4Life (aHunter4Hire)

by Cynthia Clement

  Partlan snatched the boy away from harm.

  Catal’s arm locked around the man’s throat. He squeezed and twisted, breaking the second man’s neck. That’s when the captives in the centre of the building started to move. Gunshots rang throughout the air. When everything had settled down, another two men were dead. The rest had stayed in place.

  Catal dragged the man he had killed out of the bar area. The boy that Partlan was holding, watched. His eyes were wide, but there was no fear in them, only acceptance. When the area was clear of bodies, Catal reached into the hole and pulled out the children. In total, there were four boys and two girls. The children stayed huddled together. They kept their eyes lowered and it wasn’t until Selena’s spoke that they looked up.

  “Is Tarrin alive?”

  The boy Partlan was holding turned his head. “Mom?”

  Catal’s heart constricted as he watched Tarrin run to Selena. This was his son. He had kept his promise to Selena and delivered him unharmed.

  “Go to them. We will take care of the other children. I will keep them in the cloak room so they do not have to see their captors again.” Partlan’s voice was low.

  Catal looked over at the other warrior. His face was expressionless, but his eyes held understanding and awe. Never before had a Hunter had a child. Centuries of breeding and training to be warriors was now at variance with the wonder of fatherhood. Love and pride, emotions that were foreign and unsettling, stirred deep within him.

  He took a step toward them.

  Selena turned at his approached and held her arms out to him. Within seconds, he was cocooned within the love and peace of holding her and his son. Tears of joy flowed from Selena’s eyes. She looked up at him and smiled.

  “Thank you for giving me my son back.”

  Catal didn’t trust his voice. Instead, he nodded and led them to the door. He couldn’t relax until he knew they were away from this place. Only then would he feel that they were safe and that his mission had been accomplished. There was still the mess of the dealing with the dead and captives.

  There was also the question of the other children they had found. They had homes and parents who were worried about their whereabouts. These were problems that had to be resolved before he could take Selena and Tarrin home. Just the thought of leaving them sent a piercing stab of pain to his heart. He had only just found them. To lose them was unthinkable, but he had no other choice. It was Selena’s decision. If she wanted him to stay away, then he must honor her wishes.

  They reached the front door. Behind them was the commotion of the captives being moved to the far wall, as the children came out from behind the bar area. He opened the door and waited until Selena and Tarrin had left, before turning back to the room. Partlan and Ranon were with the children. Firbin held the others at gunpoint while Malac was slipping plastic handcuffs on them.

  Catal left the building and caught up with Selena and Tarrin. “Everything is under control. We need to get you to the van.”

  “What about Gates.” Tarrin spoke for the first time. “He’s afraid and I promised to take care of him.”

  “I forgot completely.” Selena’s voice held regret as she looked up at Catal. “Could you get him?”

  Catal nodded. He turned to go back. A yell from inside the building had him reaching for the pistol in his jean’s waistband. Before he had a chance to aim his weapon, a figure appeared at the door. It was the judge.

  He had a gun in his hands and he was pointing it straight at them. Catal pushed Selena and Tarrin behind him just as the man fired. Catal raised his gun just as another shot ran out. Breanon’s aim was true. The judge dropped dead.

  Catal stumbled as a searing pain in his arm forced him back a step. He put his hand up to his arm to stop the flow of blood that gushed from the wound.

  He’d been shot.

  Chapter 18

  Catal lurched against her.

  Selena looked up at his face. Her heart stopped when she saw his grimace of pain. He’d been hurt. She grabbed him before he could turn away, her hands patted at his body in a frantic effort to find the wound. She gripped his arm and he groaned.

  “How bad is it?”

  “A mere scratch.” Catal struggled to stand straight. “I’ve had worse.”

  “Not when you’ve been with me.” Selena forced the panic out of her voice. “Let me see it.”

  “Not here.” Catal straightened up and took her arm. He continued to walk her and Tarrin back to the road. “We need to get you two into the van. I’ll come back and get Gates.”

  “You can’t expect me to let you go without stopping the bleeding?”

  “Yes you can.” Catal’s voice was determined. He stopped when they reached the parked van and opened the rear door. He lifted his son into the vehicle, then started to leave.

  “Tarrin needs you. I’m not seriously injured.”

  “You would never leave me alone and hurt.” Selena put her hands on her hips. “I love you. The pair bond you talk about is just as strong for me.”

  Catal turned back to her. He raised his uninjured arm and let his fingers feather down her cheek. “Nothing is going to happen to me. The others already have everything under control.”

  “I have to be certain.” Selena forced back a sob. “You were almost killed.”

  “That happens every day in my line of work.”

  “Not when I’m with you.”

  Selena grabbed his arm and ripped open his sleeve. Her fingers moved over the wound. The bullet had grazed his skin, nothing more. She sighed and reached into the van to pull out the first aid kit. A swabbing with an alcohol pad, gauze, antibiotic cream, and tape had the bleeding stopped and her heart beating at a slower rate.

  He’d almost died trying to protect her and Tarrin. How dare he believe that she wouldn’t be worried about it? She’d be devastated if anything happened to him. The thought of it was too much to bear. She reached up and touched his face.

  “I never wanted you dead, even when I thought that you had betrayed me.”

  He nodded. “You have truly accepted our bonding.”

  “I thought I had already made that clear to you.” Selena stood on tip toes and brushed her lips across his. Electricity seemed to spark between them. She gaze directly into his eyes. “I love you.”

  A pull on her top forced her to break eye contact with Catal and look back at Tarrin.

  “Is he my father?” Tarrin was looking at Catal with unblinking eyes.

  Selena smiled. “Yes.”

  Catal put a hand on Tarrin’s head. She sensed, more than heard, an unspoken communication between the two. Tarrin’s eyes widened and then he pointed to the building. Catal nodded and went to get Gates.

  Selena gathered Tarrin close and hugged him tight. Her son was free and unharmed. Never in the past week, had she let herself envision this moment, for fear of it not happening. Catal and his fellow Hunters had made it possible. They hadn’t given up. She owed them so much.

  “Did those men hurt you?”

  Tarrin shook his head. “They scared me, but I had to be strong for Gates. He was crying.”

  “It must have been very frightening for both of you.”

  “Once I heard Catal’s voice in my head, I was fine.” Tarrin gave her a small smile. “He said that he would come for me. That’s when I knew we’d be safe.”

  “He’s a very brave man.” Selena choked back a sob. “You are just like him.”

  “We look alike. He’s big like me too.”

  “Yes.” Selena stood. “You will be as tall as him one day.”

  “Will I be a warrior too?”

  Tears started to form in Selena’s eyes. She knew it was normal for a boy to want to be like his father, but the thought of her baby becoming a warrior, made her chest constrict with fear. She could barely stand the thought that Catal put his life on the line every day. To think that her son would do the same, was too much to bear.

  “You have plenty of time before
you have to make that decision.” Selena pushed away from the van when she noticed Catal coming down the drive with a boy by his side. “Let’s get Gates.”

  They ran to meet them and Selena pulled Gates into her arms. “Are you alright? Your mom and Dad were so worried about you.”

  “Tarrin kept me safe.” Gates voice wobbled. “Is it true that you asked Tarrin’s father to find us?”

  “Yes.” Selena stood and turned Gates to Catal. “This is Catal. He is a man of many skills, including finding lost children.”

  “Thank you.” Gate’s voice was solemn.

  “It is safe to come inside now.” Catal’s voice was husky. “The criminals are secured and we are trying to figure out who the children are. You might be able to help with that. They seem very frightened of us.”

  “I can imagine.” Selena’s chest tightened at the thought of what these children had been put through at the hands of the men in that building. Tarrin and Gates had been kidnapped and then sold. That was probably the case for these other children.

  They walked into the building. The remaining captives were sitting against the wall. Their hands were cuffed behind them and they were attached to iron rings that were secured on the walls. The dead bodies were laid out further down the wall. On the opposite side of the room there tables and chairs set up. It looked like a men’s club, just like the judge claimed. Probably most of its members had no clue that it had another use.

  Selena turned her eyes toward the children at the back of the building. They were in the cloak room and hovering together. Their eyes were downcast, and their bodies turned away from Ranon and Partlan who were standing guard over them. It was obvious they feared their rescuers. They were probably terrified of all adults, but she would try and help sort out their names.

  “You boys stay with Catal.” Selena straightened her shoulders. “Do either of you know the other children?”

  “When we got here they put us in the hold with them right away.” Tarrin spoke in a matter of fact tone. “The truck driver thought he’d heard a vehicle behind him, and when he told the others, they herded us together. That’s when they put blindfolds on us and told us to be quiet.”

  Selena nodded and went to the children. She squatted down in front of the group and held out her hand. She wasn’t a trained counselor and that’s what these children needed. She was a mother and worked as a nanny, though. She knew that sometimes the simplest and most honest approach was the best way to begin.

  “I’m Selena.”

  She waited for a response, but none of the children turned to her. She tried again. She motioned to Tarrin to join her. She put her arm around her son. “This boy is my son. He and his friend were kidnapped almost a week ago.”

  The children glanced over their shoulders for a second.

  “We’re here to help you find your families.”

  One of the taller boys looked at her directly. “I haven’t seen my mother for days. Those men said that she was dead.”

  Selena’s fought back her tears. “They only said that so you wouldn’t try and run away. What’s your name?”

  “Samuel.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “Seattle.”

  “Good.” Selena touched his hand. “If you know your address we will get you back to your mother as soon as possible. That’s what we want to do for all of you.”

  One by one the children began to talk. They had all arrived at the building that day. They were traumatized, and would require counselling for the ordeal they had suffered. Partlan and Ranon took down the information each child provided and then grouped the names together by location. When this had been done, the children went over to where Tarrin and Gates were and sat on the floor. They stayed in the cloakroom away from their captors.

  Catal came over to Selena when she’d finished with the last child. “It should be easier to get them home now. Thank you.”

  “I find it difficult to understand how this could happen. It would never have been tolerated on Cygnus.” Partlan’s voice was severe.

  “I warned you that humans were different.” Catal’s voice was weary. “There are many atrocities that occur on this planet that would never be allowed elsewhere in the universe.”

  “We don’t allow it here.” Selena’s voice was defensive. “These men will be prosecuted.”

  “They will be given short sentences. The only reason we are leaving any of them alive is so the FBI can question them. They may be able to get information from them about other abducted and missing children.” Catal’s tone was scornful. “It would be better if we could kill them now. At least honor would be satisfied.”

  “Perhaps, but violence is not the solution.” Selena understood how Catal felt, but she still had to hope that there was a better way. One in which a person saw how wrong their actions were.

  “They will be sent to prison for a short time, but the damage they’ve done to the children will last them a lifetime.” Catal crossed his arms.

  “True.” Selena sighed. “It isn’t perfect, but at least these children will go home to their families. There has been some justice done today.”

  Ranon handed Partlan a computer. “There is a lot of information on this system that might help keep these men and others like them in jail for a long time.”

  Partlan put the computer on the bar so that everyone could look. He started scanning through files. “They kept all of their records and transactions here. If the police act quickly enough they should be able to rescue others.”

  “They will have to hit all these groups at once.” Catal was looking over Partlan’s shoulder.

  “There are papers down in the hole.” Ranon looked to Partlan for direction.

  “Bring them all up. We will take pictures of everything and email it to Agent Kelly.” Partlan looked over at the men along the wall. “Take pictures of the captives and the bodies. See if you can get their identification.”

  Catal moved away from the bar. “I’ll get a camera.”

  Selena went back over to the children and gathered Tarrin and Gates close to her on the floor. She stayed with them until the photos had been taken. The men being held were not cooperative about giving up their names, but their identification was in their wallets, so those pictures were included with the others. It took about an hour for the place to be processed and by that time the kids were starting to yawn. Tarrin and Gates had already put their heads on her lap and were sleeping.

  Catal sat beside her as he downloaded everything from the computer they’d found and emailed it to the police. He made a backup, saved it onto a memory stick, and then put the stick in his pocket.

  When Selena raised an eyebrow, he shrugged. “I don’t trust any human except you. This is in case the files get lost or tampered with while the police are investigating. If that happens, we will ensure that justice is done.”

  “I didn’t realize you were so cynical.”

  “Humans have taught me that.” Catal closed the computer. “Being careful has saved my life more than once.”

  Partlan joined them at that moment. “Everything is ready to go. We will leave these men here with the bodies, and contact the police when we are safely on the highway.”

  “I have already emailed Agent Kelly.”

  Partlan nodded. “She will be expecting us in Los Angeles.”

  “What about the other children?” Selena roused the two boys sleeping on her lap and stood. “We can’t just leave them here.”

  “They will come with us.” Partlan motioned toward the others. “There are vehicles parked outside. Firbin has found the keys on the men. We will split up.”

  “How many of the children need to go north?” Catal was the first to speak.

  “There are two. Ranon and Malac will leave them with their families. I am going south to return Gates to his parents. Firbin and Breanon will head east with the other children.”

  “What about me?” Catal frowned. “Am I going with you to Beverly Hills?�
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  Partlan crossed his arms. “Ardal has asked you to meet him at the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. He has some information to impart. The reservation is the safest place to gather. Niail’s mate lives without electricity and contact with the outside world. That should ensure privacy.”

  Catal nodded. “I can head that way after Selena and Tarrin are safe.”

  “There is one thing I need to ascertain.” Partlan turned to Selena. “Ardal, our leader would like to meet your son. Is it possible for you to go with Catal to Montana now?”

  Selena felt Catal stiffen beside her. Her mind started to spin with the implications. If she and Tarrin went with Catal, they would be arriving as a family. Her heart pounded faster. Was she ready? She knew she loved him. She hadn’t trusted him in the past, and that had forced them to spend years apart. Years of longing and anguish.

  She’d denied him knowing his son.

  She straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t going to live in fear again. She loved Catal. She needed him with her always. Now wasn’t the time to hesitate. She would go with him to Montana and become a part of his life. He was her mate. She couldn’t bear to live without him anymore.

  “Yes.” Selena reached for Catal’s hand. “We’ll go with him.”

  Chapter 19

  “Can we stop somewhere for the night?” Selena yawned. They had just passed through Las Vegas. “Tarrin fell asleep an hour ago and I don’t think I can go on much longer.”

  “I want to put as much distance between us and Caliente as possible.” Catal didn’t take his eyes off the road.

  “We’ve been driving over four hours.”

  Catal glanced over at her and frowned. “It’s only two in the morning.”

  “So it’s about time we stopped for the night.” Selena’s voice was tired. “You can’t expect to drive twenty hours straight through to Montana.”

  “That’s exactly what I would have done. I forgot humans need rest.” Catal turned off the road and pulled into the parking lot of a small two-storey hotel. “Will this do?”